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Best Value in Building Enclosure Energy Upgrades

Aging buildings, sustainability, high new construction costs, and maintaining historic buildings are some motivating factors for implementing existing building energy upgrades. Commercial and residential buildings represent approximately 40% of annual energy consumption and 46% of annual carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. The U. S. Department of Energy publishes data on the construction dates for commercial buildings based on total floor space. The data shows that 54% of commercial buildings in the United States were built before the 1970s oil crises and the subsequent effort to construct buildings with higher energy efficiency and airtight enclosures. Read the full topic brief.